Cleaner for moving-picture films.



H. B. ROBlNSON. CLEANER Foa Movme mcums mms. APPLlCATlON FILED 0CT. 29,\9\3.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

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HOWARD B. ROBIN-SON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CLEANER FOR MOVING-PICTURE FILMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application led October 29, 1913. Serial No. 798,153.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD B. ROBINSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in. Cleaners for Moving-Picture Films, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to cleaners for moving-picture films, the objectof the invention being to provide a device of this character which issimple in construction, which can be readily and easily operated, and bywhich a film or equivalent, can be elfectually and thoroughly cleaned.

The invention includes other features of novelty and advantage, whichwith the foregoing will be stated at length in the followingdescription, wherein I will set forth that one of the severalembodiments of the invention which I have selected for illustration inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification.I do not limit myself to this disclosure; I may depart therefrom inseveral respects within the scope of the invention defined by the claimsfollowing said description.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section ofa cleaner involving my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, showing a portion of a moving-picture machine. Fig. 3 is atransverse section of a cleaning roller.

Like characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

The diderent parts of my cleaner may be supported by any suitableframework. rlhe framework shown includes in its make-up the duplicateside-members 2 connected near their tops by the cross piece 8. Said sidemembers 2 are shown provided with inturned feet 4: connected by rivetsor otherwise, with the base member 5 which as shown is supported forsliding movement by the plate 6 having guide ways to receive said basemember, so that the frame as a whole with the parts thereon, can bemoved toward and from the receiving reel of a motion-picture machine toadjust the tension of a belt or band hereinafter described, providedsuch a band is utilized to transfer power. This plate 6 is fastenedtosome suitable rigid part of the moving-picture machine and into it istapped the screw 7, the base member 5 having a slot 8 elongated in adirection transversely thereof to receive said screwk 7,

the head of which is adapted to engage against the upper surface of thebase member to hold the framing and the parts connected therewith, in anadjusted position. By looseningv the screw 7 the framing can be adjustedto move it toward or from the receiving or take-up reel 9 of themovingpicture machine onto which the film 10 is received from thecompanion reel (not shown.) The cleaner is disposed between the tworeels mentioned, the film being cleaned thereby in its movement from oneto the other of said reels.

I have described a framework which is suitable for sustaining thedifferent parts of the device and which is adjustable. As will beinferred from what I have already noted a framework of an entirelydierent character without such an adjustment may be provided.

The cleaning mechanism in the present case consists of superimposedrollers as 11 and 12, the peripheries of which are preferably soft so asnot to mar or injure the film. This particular condition can be securedin a variety of ways, although one of an advantageous character will behereinafter set forth. Said rollers 11 and 12 are as shown, connectedtogether for simultaneous rotation, for instance by being gearedtogether, their shafts as illustrated, being equipped with meshingspur-gears 13 and le fastened to the bodies of the rollers or drums inany convenient manner for instance by several screws. The shaft of theupper roller 12 is supported directly by the side members 2. The lowershaft 11 extends through arcuate slots in the side bars 2 and itsjournal portions are sustained by the short branches of angle levers 15supported at their elbows on the outer sides of the side members 2.Connected with the longer branches of the said levers 15 and also withthe side bars 2 are the pull springs 16 which yieldingly urge the lowerroller 11 toward the companion roller 12. The upper roller 12 isconnected in some suitable way with the take-up reel 9. For instancesaid take-up reel as shown is furnished with a band wheel 17 rotarythere with and connected by a band 18 with the small band wheel 19 fastto the shaft of the upper roller 12, so that when the take-up orreceiving reel is turned by the hand crank 2O or otherwise, to wind thefilm 10 thereon, the two rollers 11 and 12 through the describedconnections will be simultaneously rotatedto cause their softperipheries to wipe the opposite faces of the film 10 being fedtherebetween. The tworollers 11 and 12 rotate oppositely and in adirection opposite to the line of movement of the film 10 in order tofacilitate the cleaning action.

The bodies or cores of the two rollers 11 and 12 can be clothed in anydesirable manner, to obtain the soft or yielding peripheries to which Ihave referred, for instance by strips of felt 21 attached at one end ofeach to its roller by a wedge piece 22 driven into a wedge channel orgroove 23 extending longitudinally of the cores of the respectiverollers, the strips of felt 21 being wrapped about the respectiverollers in a direction op posite their direction of rotation (F ig. 3)to prevent accidental unwinding of the strips. rIhis also provides forthe very easy way of removing the felt strips which are attached to therollers at only one end thereof. The width of each strip is about equalto the length of the core around which it is wound. The length of saidstrips is a little more than twice the circumference of the cores orbodies of the respectiverollers, by reason of which there arepractically four independent cleaning areas or portions presented byeach strip. That is to say each strip can be reversed with respect toits faces and also with respect to its ends.

In the operation of a movingpicture machine the film is unwound from theprimary reel and "is passed between the rollers or drums 11 and 12 andis then connected with the receiving or take-up reel 9. lVhen the reel 9is turned in the manner already described the film 10 is moved and atthe same time the two rollers 1l and 12 are simulta taneously rotated toperform their cleaning ofiices. To aid in an understanding of theoperation I have shown by arrows in Fig. 2 the direction of movement ofthe parts.

I provide means of a positive nature for preventing the film beingcleaned and the felt pads 21 from getting into the teeth of theintermeshing gears 13 and 14. The

guard 24 answers satisfactorily in this contends into an annular rabbetor groove 25 in the lower roller 1l in order to secure the functions inquestion.

' What I claim is:

1. In acleaner for moving picture films, a pair of cleaning rollersgeared together for opposite rotation, the peripheries of the rollersbeing soft and being adapted to receive between them a moving picturefilm, said peripheries consisting of strips of textile material wrappedabout the cores of said rollers in a direction opposite to theirrespective movements, said strips being unfastened at the outer edgeswhereby they may be unwound and reversed.

2. In a cleaner' for moving picture films, a roller, frame membersVsupporting the roller for rotation, a second roller geared to the firstroller for rotation in a direction opposite to that of the first roller,the second roller having a shaft and the frame mem bers having slotsthrough which the ends of said shaft extend, angle levers supported attheir angles for oscillation on the outside of said frame members, onebranch of each of the leve-rs receiving for rotation an adjacentprojecting end of said shaft, and springs connected with the framemembers and with the other branches of said levers for yieldingly urgingthe second roller toward the first roller, the peripheries of the tworollers being soft. ,In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

HOWARD B. ROBINSON. lVitnesses:

HEATH SUTHERLAND, F. E. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

